


Woodwork, Adaine

by luluwithan_u



Series: Atlas I (Sleeping At Last) x Dimension 20 [2]
Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sisters, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:02:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25182199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luluwithan_u/pseuds/luluwithan_u
Summary: FANTASY HIGH SOPHOMORE YEAR SPOILERSWith Adaine and her back on track, Aelwyn prepares a surprise for her little sister.
Relationships: Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth, Riz Gukgak/Fabian Aramais Seacaster, Zelda Donovan/Gorgug Thistlespring
Series: Atlas I (Sleeping At Last) x Dimension 20 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824691
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Woodwork, Adaine

**Author's Note:**

> hewwo!!! this is the second fic for my sleeping at last series, based off thw song woodwork! i also got inspo from this comic on twitter: https://twitter.com/Rabdoidal/status/1279805323079892992?s=19
> 
> hope you enjoy it!

[ _ "The melody, it carries on _ ](https://youtu.be/2ZQ4V9J4DhM)

[ _ While we come undone, _ ](https://youtu.be/2ZQ4V9J4DhM)

[ _ And makes us new." _ ](https://youtu.be/2ZQ4V9J4DhM)

The bell rang, announcing the last class of the day was finally over. Adaine packed her things calmly, as she usually did, then waited for Boggy to climb onto her shoulder so she could leave the classroom. Outside, as usual on a Tuesday’s last period, Fig stood outside the door, picking her bass for random chords that still somehow sounded exquisite, waiting for Adaine with her devilish smile as she did every single time.

“Hey, baby girl,” Fig teased her as soon as she crossed the door, tossing the bass around her back to walk with Adaine. In turn, she rolled her eyes jokingly and walked. “How are you? Had fun talking about… I don’t know, arithmetics and constellations?”

Adaine shook her head, laughing. “Fig, you date the caretaker of Compass Point Library. No one falls for that I-don’t-get-arcana thing anymore.”

“Touché. You are good at the being smart thing, I guess,” she shrugged in response. “She can’t come around tonight though, so I guess I’ll have to contempt myself with you and Aelwyn being nerdy in order to run from Kristen and Tracker.”

Adaine laughed again - Fig had always been a little funny to her, but, now that they were properly friends on a fair level, and lived in the same house too, she had become such a light and relieving presence for Adaine. It was good, too, because between the re-insertion of her sister into society and the constant sexual tension exuding from Kristen, she needed a safe haven in Mordred Manor. “As much as you know I love to deal you all my nerdiness, I can’t right now. Aelwyn said she’s got something to show me when we arrive.”

Fig sighed just a little too dramatically. “I can’t believe you’re relinquishing me to those crazed sapphics.”

Adaine frowned again. “Aren’t you a -”

“Desperately so, and yet I complain,” she offered Adaine a smile, then winked. As they exited the school building through the parking lot, they saw the rest of their friends between Jawbone’s car and the Hangvan, along with Zelda, who had a funny look on her face as Fabian tried to explain what looked like how someone would go about the aerodynamics of throwing Riz. Gorgug had one arm around his girlfriend, shaking his head at Fabian, since he had learned a thing or two recently as an artificer, but of course Fabian paid him no mind. Kristen had her nose deep inside a book, and Riz seemed to be reading over her shoulder, every now and then shaking his head at Fabian in a way that instantly got a laugh out of both Fig and Adaine. Fig kicked up her skateboard, going ahead of Adaine to pull up right in the middle of the mix, in a way that Adaine was sure made Fabian extra-annoyed, mostly based off the grins on everyone else’s faces. She approached them too, as Fabian, Riz and Fig started bickering, and leaned against the van by Gorgug. 

“Were his physics at least a little bit right?” She whispered to the two of them, and Gorgug immediately shook his head in a chuckle.

“I think he must have made Riz like, another three feet shorter?” He furrowed his brow, still looking at the three. “But at least he’s trying to be nice and friendly, we should give him that credit.”

“A weird nice and friendly,” Zelda promptly added, “but definitely more than he has in the past two years.”

“If it’s a battle, at least he’s winning,” Adaine smiled at them, and shared a brief look with Gorgug. Though the two of them might have spent less time together than with some of the others, the bond they shared ran deep nonetheless, and she could tell he was thinking of the same she was: sophomore year spring break. Leviathan. Fallinel. I believe in you.

_ It’s Gorgug, keep going. _

The memory of his voice, the little hologram, it all filled her with warmth. Elmville suddenly looked three times more beautiful: the sun was lowering behind the school, colouring the sky a soft blue and the clouds a pleasant yellow. Riz, Fabian and Gorgug were picking up their training equipment for bloodrush, Kristen read another book on theology, Fig annoyed everyone in the absence of Ayda to distract her. Jawbone walked out of the school building into the parking lot, and she knew he’d take her home, a home where she could actually be comfortable and with family. She had never been this happy.

“You kids better get a move on - I heard Gorthalax is doing laps today,” Jawbone announced as they approached the cars, and the eyes of the boys suddenly widened. After a few quick goodbyes, they were but blurs down the parking lot, Riz sitting on Gorgug’s shoulders as Fabian walked with the Hangman, and Zelda waved at the group of them and went away too. He then looked at the three of them left, unlocking the car. “You girls coming home?”

“Tracker’s meeting me for ice cream, but I’ll catch you guys later!” Kristen smiled at them, packing up her things to walk towards the school.

“Holy crap that means the mansion will be silent,” Fig said, widening her eyes. “Count me in! Maybe I’ll do some songwriting, who knows?”

“Doesn’t that… Defeat the point?” Adaine asked, laughing a little, but Fig never bothered to answer, instead just cramming herself and her many thingamagigs into the backseat. Jawbone looked at her last, so she smiled. “Let's beat it.”

It was a short drive, but pleasant nonetheless. Fig played tunes in the back, and Jawbone made conversation about their days and classes. The Academy was always an interesting place, especially when you were one of the Bad Kids, so this easy-going bliss always seemed right at the end of their fingertips, and was, of course, transported into the atmosphere of the Manor when they arrived. Today, uncharacteristically, Aelwyn sat on the steps of the house, and waved to them as soon as the car pulled over.

“Hi everyone,” she smiled, standing up quickly. Aelwyn was finally starting to gain back her color as they approached summer, her cheeks becoming fuller and her arms stronger. Today, she wore her blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun, a tye-dye shirt Kristen had most certainly given her, and comfortable shorts. It was insane for Adaine to see how much she had changed, and grown into herself - she could have never guessed, not too long ago, her sister had a true self she still would grow into. “Do you guys mind if I steal Adaine?”

“Please relieve us,” Fig joked, struggling to get her bass out of the car. “Go read books or something.”

“Okay, kid, I’m calling it quits on you,” Jawbone chuckled, then looked at Aelwyn. “You two go ahead, I’ll help this asshat here out.”

Adaine was sure Fig immediately started cursing Jawbone, but she couldn’t pay it much mind beside from laughing. Aelwyn motioned with her head to the house, and smiled. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Adaine followed her into the house, by the empty living room and kitchen and into their little corner of the house - their lair, as Fig had once said, the day after they spent the whole day up there just to prepare an arcane boobytrap for the next time she tried to steal cookies out of their jar. When they were about to open the door, Aelwyn stopped. She held the doorknob, took a deep breath, and looked at Adaine. “I hope you like it, little sister.”

No sarcasm or irony, just that. Adaine smiled at her. “I’m sure I will.”

Aelwyn pursed her lips, then pushed their white door opened. In the room, Adaine was quick to see the surprise. It was all over the walls: a drawing of the night sky, the constellations carefully hand painted and, here and there, shining with a blue arcane glow. The ceiling had been bended magically, though she wasn’t sure of the how, so they now stood in a dome; their own little planetarium. To the corner, she saw a pylon glowing with the same energy. It must mean some permanent effect was happening, and, though she was sure the arcana of it must be intricate and delicate and beautiful, her mouth was still ajar at the painting.

“We’ve both been studying them for so long,” Aelwyn said, almost grounding Adaine back. “I thought it was past time we could think of them nicely, not as the thing Angwyn quizzed us on every day at breakfast. You… You liked stars so much when you were a child. I thought you might enjoy them.”

Adaine swallowed hard. She reached a hand to the ceiling, feeling the texture of Aelwyn’s work. “I do. It’s… I don’t know how to thank you, Aelwyn.”

For a moment, it was silent. Aelwyn took a step closer to Adaine, putting a hand on her shoulder so that Boggy even jumped over to rest on her shoulder instead, and she even allowed herself to close her eyes for a second under her sister’s touch. “Remember how our love and song and joy, it’s all part of the process? Remember taking risks to be happy, and throwing yourself into deep waters because that’s the only way you’ll find something valuable? I’m living my truth, Adaine, and that means putting the work in - the right kind of work.”

Adaine nodded, pursing her lips. “I’m… So happy, Aelwyn. You’ve - we have come a long way.”

“I know, little sister,” Aelwyn said, then hugged her. “I’m proud of you. Of us.”

She felt Boggy climb to reach both of them as she hugged Aelwyn back. It was hard to keep her breath straight, and fight off the tears, but it was fine: these were happy tears. After all these years, after she had even given up on it herself, Adaine was finally here. She was finally at a place where she felt happy, where she felt comfortable, and she felt so lucky to be able to have Adaine by her side, especially thinking of all they had gone through. Adaine felt like it might all be worth it: all the hours, all the meds, all the risks and crazy decisions. In putting her hands to work, Aelwyn had, after all, tapped into the biggest truth of them all: this house, this family, and every piece of its joy, hadn’t been born of nothing. It had all come from the woodwork.

"I'm proud of you, Aelwyn."

She felt Aelwyn hold her a little bit tighter. "And me you, Adaine."

_ "All our love came out of the woodwork." _

  
  



End file.
